Okay, so I'm not exactly a food connoisseur. But I have eaten at a number of breakfast buffets around Manila and it's safe to say that not all buffets are created the same. And more choices does not (from my experience, at least) necessarily equate to delicious meals.
First off, a few notes about my eating tastes. I easily get bored, especially when it comes to food and that's why I'm a big fan of buffets. I prefer eating small amounts of everything and tasting how the flavors mix in my palate. If I had to classify my taste I would say Mediterranean: I love light meals with tomatoes, bread, oils and some wine. So basically that's how I approached these buffets.
(3) Circles Events Cafe (Shangri-la Makati)
This was one of my first breakfast buffets, I think, and I'm not even sure if they still have a breakfast buffet. Anyway, I like Circles better than HEAT (at Edsa Shangri-la) where I found the food, more often than not, uninspiring. Circles, like most buffets in the metro, boasts ample food choices ranging from Chinese, Japanese, American and Filipino. Not as exhaustive as Spiral but everything tastes so good that you don't really mind the smaller selection. What I think really separates Circles from the other buffets I've eaten in is the lightness of their food. It's not as easily filling, which really works for me. I get to truly savor the food and just enjoy the dining experience instead of feeling like I've overstuffed myself.
(2) Spiral (Sofitel Plaza Manila)
A lot of people would rank this as their number 1 buffet but Spiral and I have had a bad history together. The sheer amount of food choices makes it inevitable for any sane person not to over-eat, and once or twice I've ended up tasting food I wish I have never ever eaten in my life. That's not to say that I don't like Spiral. Despite the overwhelming selection, the food remains great although a tad more fatty than at Circles, their staff is one of the friendliest buffets crews around, and the place is remarkable with its large, trademark stairs and the view of the pool and Manila Bay outside. I just think Spiral suffers from it's popularity sometimes. The taste of their food tends to be inconsistent during crowded days, ranging from oh-my-god-you-have-to-try-this to blah. And because of the number of people frequenting it, they easily run of food (i.e. bacon) so its best to come early.
(1) 7 corners (Crowne Plaza Ortigas)
Not as popular as Circles or Spiral, nor as big. The selection at 7 corners is in fact one of the smallest buffet selections I've seen for a hotel buffet. Unlike the other 2 restaurants, I've never actually tried their regular buffet. I still long for their breakfast buffet, however. It's what actually compelled me to write this.
Anyway, fewer choices but cooked better, I suppose. Their bacon was crisp and perfect, not soggy limping bits of fat sitting in a bowl of oil. The french toast was good, so were the pancakes and other pastries. I particularly liked the cheese topping for the french toast. (I have no idea what that was but, boy, did it taste good). The staff and the ambience may not have been the best but everything else seems to play second fiddle to the food. There was nothing exotic about the food, nothing out of this world or new, just old breakfast favorites served at their very best.
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